


don't say you love me.

by belleadonna



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F, haha good luck, i dont believe in happy endings, i forgot to say this was a modern au, im in immense amount of pain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-17 22:42:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28982061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/belleadonna/pseuds/belleadonna
Summary: don’t say that, don’t say you love me, blake trembles.yang stares, watching as the world fades before her.i don’t want to hear it. i don't want to.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long
Comments: 4
Kudos: 28





	don't say you love me.

\--

it all began last year , yang xiao long was in love with blake belladonna. they were still young , but it was instant. almost as if gravity belonged between two. it was during valentine's day and never an occurrence yang was particularly fond of. weiss occasionally delighted in throwing a party for her closest friends and this year just so happened to be yang’s lucky day. she refused to hear any of her protestations and instead shoved the invitation into her pocket while subsequently skimming over her nails. 

_it’s a waste of time, she’d tell ruby._

_maybe for the grinch ! she’d retort , both sharing a laugh._

yeah, a waste of time. 

until her. 

\--

lithe , flowing, decorated in all black as if the night and all its stars could ever compare. the celestials mourned their loss , for the trophy was at the disposal of this mystery in platform pumps strutting through the schnee manor doors like she possessed the place. 

_i’d give it to you if i could , yang thought. i’d give you everything._

she’ll save that for the dance floor , maybe. 

nora was occupying herself alongside ren at the buffet table compiled of some gourmet shit yang could never recall the names of. no need for food to sound richer than her entire life expense. nevertheless , that did not stop her from noticing yang’s all-too-obvious stares towards the girl accompanied by a man with familiar hair. nora’s umber brow quirked in the same fashion a child’s curiosity would , impishly sliding over to yang and locating her chocolate breath right against the shell of her ear. yang would flinch , suddenly attentive to the scented draft that wafted her direction. 

“ liking the view ? “ she grinned too proudly. 

ah , that makes more sense. amethyst hues rolled , nudging her far enough from any other hidden schemes. 

“ yes actually, im enjoying myself very much, “ matching the grin, the tip of her boot dug into weiss’ marble flooring, “ d’yknow her ? “ 

nora began theatrically rubbing at her chin , earning a bunch of bewildering peers from yang. 

“ that i do , yang xiao long. actually , your inquiry and extremely painful patent attraction gives me the ability to do this ! hey blake, over here !! “ 

wait a second - “ nora, i fucking swear - “ 

too late. she whispered something to her unidentified companion and began to approach them , the elegant wrap dress coordinating with her locks followed blake’s every graceful step. how she could walk in those heels were beyond yang’s comprehension. but for a moment, they locked eyes , pools of honey complementing the way her smile curled into the most sweet carving. 

_i wonder what it feels like to be art , i wonder if you could teach me the intricacies of you , the brush strokes you’ve endured._

blake swung a strand of loose hair behind an ear , immediately embraced by nora. 

“ hey , thanks for inviting me. “ 

_her voice , god her voice._

“ no problem ! thanks for coming despite not being very excited about these events. oh, let me introduce you. this is yang xiao long, friend , barista , _single_. “ she made sure to punctuate that last one with a flick of her tongue. which, in turn, drew a glare from the introducee. 

blake chuckled , fluttered her lashes fetchingly. or most likely to yang’s imagination. 

“ good to meet you, yang xiao long friend barista single. that’s quite the name you got there. is it perhaps royalty ? “ she’d accentuate her question with a curtsy. 

_oh_

stunning _and_ a smart-ass ? you’re in trouble now, xiao long. 

“ how did you know ? the prince of patch even. looks to be that someone did their research on me before attending. “ 

blake grinned , one that looped heartstrings together and nearly made yang fumble. 

“ no , just a wild guess. “ 

_i think i’ve met you before , in another life._

“ sooooo, am i gonna get to know you or is it one of those cinderella incidents where i hope you’ll drop one of those _horrific_ shoes so i can find you again ? “ 

that rang another titter , this time not concealed behind those slender digits. yang took the rare opportunity to study her features. and what a discovery it was. 

“ do you believe in fate ? “ 

yang gazed, violet orbs outlining the dip of her nose, the fullness of her cheeks , the arch of her jaw , the plush of her lips--she had almost forgotten to answer until blake’s amused smirk shattered the fantasy. yang swiftly cleared her throat , uncommon for her to be bashful during these encounters yet the redness told otherwise. 

it was just something about her. 

“ what do you mean ? well, uhh i guess every so often but i - “

“ then we’ll leave it at that. see you around , yang xiao long friend barista single , also prince of patch. “ 

and for once, yang didn’t mind valentine’s day. 

\--

blake belladonna was in love with yang xiao long. it was instant , the way soulmates were written in ink along parchment. blake felt it straightaway and it hit her like tidal waves. though she could breathe adjacent to the water pressure , it filled her lungs and provided a relieving exhale. one too intimate to convey, alternatively fluctuating within her soul as if it found what it had been longing for. 

golden tresses spiraled down her waist effortlessly , the sun’s rays sewn into each strand. her eyes chiseled from rock and unraveled into spectacular crystals. every ounce of her was auroral , a being born from fairy tales. 

the notion was both exhilarating yet dreadful. to love was more bitter than sweet for blake, only ever having one half nought of the other. so processing something unforeseen churned in her stomach. nonetheless, an instinct advised her to oblige. 

since then , she hadn’t regretted a single thing. 

oh but, don’t be fooled. 

happily ever afters are meant to remain where they stemmed from. 

_those - those aren't meant for the real world._

\--

_2 months later._

“ you-- it’s you ! cinderella from the party ! “ 

everyone had ceased their actions to stare apropos to yang’s grand gesture , eyes darting between her and blake. she blinked, shifting uncomfortably. yang promptly realized how witless she appeared , lowering the hand that pointed towards her target and in lieu moving to smack the back of her head. her embarrassment was oddly flattering , warranting a smile from blake. 

“ cinderella huh ? is that how im being recognized now ? “ 

yang squinted , raising the opposite finger to wiggle in her direction. 

“ hey, thats not my fault miss ‘ do you believe in fate ? ‘ “ 

blake didn’t have an excuse for that one. 

“ and yet here we are. do you believe it now ? “ 

yang opened her mouth - then closed. her palms migrating to hips; pondering. 

“ are you a witch or something ? “

“ in a past life, i think. “ 

a past life, huh? 

yang leaned against the nearest surface, attempting to give the impression of being as undisturbed as possible however that wasn't her reality. butterflies bursted from their cocoons the moment her eyes set on blake. it didn’t seem like she was buying her facade either. blake scanned her as if she was transparent, like she could really see through all her lives. haply , coming across one they resided in.

it wasn’t that she had ne’er considered the phenomenon , it was merely defined in alternate ways. a , ‘ believe it until i experience it ‘ type. this happening , is one she became confident in. kismet could be kind when it wanted to. emphasis on _when._

“ sooo…. you, like - work here now ? “ 

she nodded , “ yeah, i got my training done at another store but was situated here since it’s closer to where i live. “ 

yang hummed , drumming a few fingers onto her forearm and catching her name tag. 

“ blake. “ 

she noted the wince that strung along. 

“ — belladonna. blake belladonna, is my name. “ 

fitting. she repeated it in her mind a couple times , savoured it on her tongue. she could get used to saying that. 

“ finally ! now i can stop associating you with the tragic princess. “ 

_you wouldn’t be too far off , blake thought._

she snorted , reaching for her phone to confirm the time. 

“ right , well better clock in. i suppose i’ll see you more often. “ 

there was a desire bubbling in yang , to reach for something so near although entirely far. she let her slip past her instead. 

—

“ i’m _tired_ , blake. i’m tired. this , us , i can’t do it. “ 

“ what are you saying ? you don’t want to be with me anymore ? “

“ yeah , i don’t. “ 

— 

work was meeting its conclusion , blake spent her last few minutes cleaning windows and yang couldn’t help but glance at intervals. a simple task magnified her allure that she virtually fell in a trance. 

“ how’s the view ? “ 

“ pretty goo— “ oops, busted. 

blake bit her bottom lip , managing to hold back the laughter that threatened to erupt. 

“ glad you’re enjoying it. “ 

yang wanted to scream. 

— 

“ so that’s it , you’re just going to leave ? can’t say i’m very surprised. “ she muttered those last words , audible enough for blake’s tearful eyes to widen at. her teeth gritted , silhouette visibly shaking. 

“ what am i supposed to do , _stay ?_ is that what you want , yang ? you broke up with me so I should keep my stuff here and continue to sleep beside you and make you breakfast in the morning. no , you don’t get to do that to me. you don’t get to have your cake and eat it too. “ 

“ that’s not what i’m — “ yang silenced herself, assuaging the rising temper though keeping her tone austere , “ that’s _not_ what i’m saying. you hurt me , blake and i can’t keep doing this - this negativity all the fucking time. i physically and mentally can’t anymore. “ 

“ then why did you tolerate me all these months if i was so remarkably difficult ? why did you do it ? “ 

“ because _i love you_ , blake. “ 

her sorrow streamed , collapsing onto the wooden floor. blake shook her head , firmly clutching the knob. 

“ no you don’t. “ 

— 

they were just finishing up, blake dusted off her apron and neatly folded it into her bag — in contrast to yang stuffing hers into submission. these newfound emotions made it feel like some lame schoolgirl crush; the thrill , skipping of beats , it felt - right. maybe this was what love should be. 

what exactly is a soulmate’s destiny ? is it the chance to be together or solely knowing ? do they walk on intersecting lines — obtaining the privilege to make acquaintance of another , to perhaps even pursue something if they’re fortunate enough before providence embarks upon judgement. what is the most devastating ? never meeting your spirit’s yearning or losing them ? 

_when i look at yang , would i be ready to lose her ?_

“ hey , you good ? you’re kinda spacing out over there . “ 

blake snapped from her thoughts , what was she thinking ? it’s not like it’d ever get to that point anyways. 

“ oh yeah, sorry. i’m alright. “ 

yang stared longer than intended , deciding not to push. 

“ can i walk you home ? “ 

“ i appreciate the offer but my apartment is just right across the street. “ 

yang paused — no way - 

“ wait - what floor ? “ 

“ uhhm , four ? “ 

“ shut the fuck up ! “ 

“ huh — “ 

yang had her arms thrown into the air in disbelief. there’s gotta be a catch to this. 

“ tell me you’re fucking with me or i’m going to _flip_ something. “ 

blake was rather perplexed at this point , but eventually registered what was going on. 

“ don’t tell me you… “ 

“ live on the same floor ? yes ma’am I do ! “ 

she gawked , taking a seat as if the recent knowledge was too heavy to shoulder. 

“ this is— crazy. like , i know i brought up fate and shit first but i didn’t think it’d go this far ! “ 

“ that’s what _i’m_ saying ! you come into my life and breathe one word to me belladonna and now my mind is running like a fucking circus monkey. you’re a terrible influence on me , y’know that ? “ 

the compressed laughter from earlier came barging out of blake , finishing with an endearing beam. yang contained interesting analogies. 

“ guess i’ll have to keep ruining your life. “ 

and all yang could think was, _please do._

—

“ i want to start over , as friends. i want us to get to know eachother again , have a fresh start. but i can't be in a relationship , i’m not ready for that. “ 

stillness.

“ blake ? are you there ? “ 

she was staring at her phone , begging her composure to regain , for the tears to end — for it all to just - end. 

“ sorry , yeah i’m here. friends… “ 

“ yeah , i’m not going to force you but i would like that. “

. . . 

“ okay. “ 

“ okay ? “ 

“ i’ll do it. “ 

the mic picked up shuffling , the occasional sniffles. 

“ alright. i love you , i don’t want to lose you okay ? “ 

the grip on her blanket tightened. bullshit. 

she hung up. 

— 

“ i want to see the fireworks , you know like in those cheesy shoujo anime and the two main love interests dramatically gaze into eachothers eyes as it goes off behind them. “ 

yang barked with laughter at blake’s astonishingly detailed description. they were lazing on yang’s sofa , blake snugged within her warmth and an arm secure around her. they had consumed more browsing time than watching on netflix , neither of them able to settle on an option. 

“ deal , i’ll get you that shoujo moment you oh-so desire. “ 

—

they’ve been dating for eight months now , april confessions came out like they were in a boxing match and may became official. 

_my ex boyfriend made me hard to love and I run away when things get hard , blake says._

_that’s okay , yang responds , as long as you come back home._

—

“ did any of that even matter to you ? “ 

it was another phone call , yang had just got off work and blake couldn’t bear stepping foot into that place. she couldn’t see yang’s face. 

“ of course it did blake - ugh give me one second — ruby , the volume won’t go any higher can you settle down there dude ! sorry about that blake. anyways , of course it did - it still does. i wouldn’t be doing any of this if it didn’t. “ 

there were a few moments of silence , a sigh cutting through. 

“ i don’t know. “ 

“ i need you to trust me at least a little bit. “ 

… 

“ i don’t know. “ 

—

we’re very different people , you and i. even our star signs are opposites. it’s one of the things i love most about us. to see your view of the world and for you to see mine. 

but it’s also one of the things I fear the most. that our differences will be our demise. 

that won’t happen , yang smiles , i think that’s what makes us special. we’re a kickass duo. 

—

sun had been waiting at his apartment entryway . it was 3am and he was slowly dozing upright until a loud knock was heard and got his adrenaline pumping. he’d open it , greeting the visitor with a big yawn. 

“ you know , i’ll never get used to your serial killer banging. what do you ne— “ when his eyes got into focus , he quickly pulled blake in and held her as she sobbed. 

“ blake - blake what happened ? “ 

“ yang — yang , she … she broke up with me. “ 

—

“ hey , yang guess what ? “ 

“ what ever could it be , princess ? “ 

“ i love you ! “ 

there was an exaggerated gasp from the other line mixed with blake’s giggles. 

“ no way ! how did i get so lucky ?? now you guess what. “ 

“ what ? “ 

“ i love you _most ! “_

— 

yang had slept over , she was burrowed into the blankets as her head claimed blake’s lap while she read to her. it was the only thing that soothed her insomnia and allowed her to drift off into slumber within a snap of a finger. 

“ i can’t believe you passed out to someone’s limbs being hacked off. “ 

“ you know , i wish i could stay awake a bit longer for context. “ 

—

blake fixated on the steam floating away and dissipating from her mug. oh how she envied it’s freedom. yang was sitting across from her , the raw stench of coffee beans overwhelming her lavender tea. it was winter and the air was frigid but blake didn’t mind , wore less layers on purpose. she resonated with the season and its accompanying melancholy. woefully , the peace never lasted and there were just some things you couldn’t run from. 

“ i thought meeting in person would be better. “ yang glanced , receiving zero eye contact. so she persisted , “ blake , can you look at me , please ? “ 

it wasn’t quite a direct stare but — it’d suffice. 

“ don’t view this as the end. think of it as a new beginning. i don’t expect you to be friendly with me right away but i also don’t want you to continue beating yourself up like this. i contacted sun , you know. you haven’t been eating or going to work, at least take care of yourself. “ 

there was no response , only the tapping of nails along ceramic. 

“ blake… please tell me what’s on your mind , anything. “ 

fingers halted their rhythm , circling the handle instead. 

“ yeah , i’ll try. “ 

“ is that all you’d like to say ? “ 

blake lifted her head , appointing a shared gaze. 

_i hate that you gave up , i hate i’m the cause of everything , i hate that i have to pretend that i’m okay , i hate that i hurt you so bad you couldn’t love me anymore._

“ that’s all. “ 

**Author's Note:**

> if it seems all over the place uhhhhhhhhhhhh because it was meant to :D  
> i have not slept  
> thanks for taking the time to read, tell me your thoughts!


End file.
